DOWNLOADING guide data?

When my Roamio says it's really downloading guide data, is it? If it is, is it purging it after or something? Why does the Roamio require internet access to access something that's stored locally? I don't have internet at home, and rely on my cell phone's tethering to get data to the Tivo. Most of the time, I don't have this on because it slows the phone down and drains the battery. Yet everytime I want to search for a show, I have to turn it on and then off again, in order to access something stored locally.